Infertility treatment for obese more likely

A new study has found that women who are obese are more likely to have difficulty conceiving.

In women whose body mass index (BMI) exceeds 29, every additional BMI unit reduces the probability of pregnancy by four per cent, according to researchers at Amsterdam's Academic Medical Centre.

Meanwhile, women with a BMI in the 35 to 40 range have a significantly reduced probability of pregnancy, commonly between 26 and 43 per cent lower.

Dr Jan Willem van der Steeg, lead author of the study in Human Reproduction journal, commented said that obese women have lower chances of conception than normal-weight women, even if they have normal ovulation.

"Given the increased prevalence of obesity, this is a worrying finding," he claimed.

The study suggests that many overweight women who have been trying for a baby with no luck could benefit from infertility treatment.